An emotional Lewis Hamilton makes his feelings known about driving a Ferrari for the first time

An emotional Lewis Hamilton reflected on how he felt after driving a Ferrari for the first time and termed it the best feeling of his life. The 7x world champion has been a part of the sport since 2007. He almost won the title in his rookie season and then went on to accomplish the feat in 2008.

In 2013, he moved to Mercedes in a move that was a total leap of faith by the driver. At the German team, he struck gold very quickly as the team nailed the 2014 regulations with a brilliant power unit. The driver went on to dominate the sport from 2014 to 2020, winning six world titles in the process.

In 2021, when Hamilton was dethroned by Max Verstappen, it led to what was the start of a lean patch for the driver and the team as well. In early 2024, Hamilton decided that it was time for a change as he signed with Ferrari in a bid to win his eighth title with the Italian team.

The driver was given a hero's welcome when he first made a visit to Maranello for his first run in a Ferrari, and as quoted by Motorsport.com, the driver was quite emotional, calling it one of the best feelings of his life. He said:

"I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, podium, win and championship, so I wasn’t sure how many more firsts I had. But driving a Scuderia Ferrari car for the first time this morning was one of the best feelings of my life."

"When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face. It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am, almost twenty years later, feeling those emotions all over again," Lewis Hamilton added.

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Lewis Hamilton on the overwhelming support of the Tifosi

To watch Lewis Hamilton drive a Ferrari for the first time, the Tifosi had found its way to Maranello, where the driver greeted them as well and signed a few autographs. After the day ended, the driver was filled with gratitude as he talked about how it was awe-inspiring to experience the love from the Tifosi. He said:

"I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi. But to now witness it first-hand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring."

He added:

"That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energized by it. I’m so grateful for the love I have felt from everyone in Maranello this week, we have a lot of work to do but I can’t wait to get started."

Lewis Hamilton will be trying to win his eighth F1 title by driving a Ferrari and ending what has been a 16-year drought for the Italian team.